Florida Lottery Winner

$245,530.92 WON IN FLORIDA

"God, Just Give Me a Break!!!"

Pat McDevitt became my 24th jackpot winner when she won $245,530.92 in
Florida Fantasy 5
Lotto on May 15, 1990. Pat used System 3003, which wheels 11 Lotto numbers for $10. In
addition to the jackpot, she won four third prizes.

As Pat tells it: "The day I bet the money, I had the flu. I was too sick to work. So, I
fiddled around with the Lotto numbers on my computer. I thought, 'God, I need a new roof.
I need a new car. I need money to take care of my mother. JUST GIVE ME A BREAK!' "I went
to bed early. The next morning I got the paper. I saw the drawing results and thought,
'Hmmm, I bet those numbers.' I wasn't all that excited. At first I couldn't find my glasses.
Then I couldn't find my tickets. Then I became anxious. I poured myself a cup of coffee. I
found my glasses and my tickets. And I saw all five winning numbers together on the third
game. My heart was pounding.

"I walked into the Cove Gift Shop on 9850 Sandalfoot Blvd. In Boca Raton, where I had bought
my lottery tickets.

"I've got some lottery tickets to cash in. I bet you don't have enough money to cash them!"

"Hell yes, we have."

"You won't have enough to pay this one."

"Holy Mackeral!!!"

"Mark, one of the owers, was as nervous as I was. His hands were shaking. He had never had a
winner that big before. He called Tallahassee and they told him what to do."

"It's when you are either down on your luck or cashing in on it, that you find out who your
true friends are. Most of Pat's friends were totally delighted to learn that she had won.

"Thomas Patti, her hairdresser for the past 20 years was in tears. He put his arms around me
and said, 'I don't know a person in the world who deserves this more than you do.'

"Florence Ries, Pat's neighbor since 1974, is a widow living on Social Security. When her air
conditioner conked out a couple of years ago, Pat told her, 'If I ever win the Lotto, I'll get
you a new air conditioner.'

"Florence had spent the weekend with her son, Larry. On their return, as they entered her
house, Florience said, 'This room is freezing.'

"Larry said, 'Boy, Mother, are you in for a surprise!'

"On the table was a late Mother's Day card from Pat McDevitt which said, 'I won the Lotto
and here's your air conditioner.'

"Florence was close to tears as she talked to me about Pat McDevitt. The maintenance men
refused to charge Pat for installing it because, they said,

'You were so good to give it to her.' Pat is such a wonderful person. She's been very good to
me.'

Not everyone was delighted with Pat's win. After Uncle Sam grabbed about $70,000, other
relatives and 'friends' came by with hands open, palm side up. One relative wanted $25,000
to start a business. An employee wanted to be gifted with a new truck. When his wish wasn't
granted, he quit and said spitefully, as he walked out the door, 'Enjoy your F------ money.'

'A friend, who had just cashed in a hefty insurance policy asked Pat to pay for a repair on
her car. Pat told her to use some of her own windfall to repair it.

"I'll be damned if I will be the national bank," fumed Pat.

Another 'friend' of Pat's, when hearing this story said, 'I can't believe that she asked
you for that money. As well as I know you, do you think I'd ask you for $5,000 to put a
down payment on a condominium?'

"Pat claimed her 'friend' repeated this four times -- just in case the pointed message had
escaped her. When Pat added up the requests for handouts, the total exceeded her win.

A friend told Pat, 'You have a rare opportunity that few people have. You finally know who
your true friends are.'

Pat McDevitt wrote: 'Gail Howard's lottery wheels brought me home winners 2 times. On May 16,
1990, I won $245,350.97 by playing 10 games in Gail's system #3003 in (Florida's) Fantasy 5.
In December 1992, I won 5 out of 6 in Lotto. I had one 5 of 6 for $4,300 plus several 4 of
6 and 3 of 6, giving me a total of $7,600. My advice--Don't count on dumb luck alone.'